Multi-degrees-of-freedom hand controller

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a controller including a first control member, a second control member that extends from a portion of the first control member, and a controller processor that is operable to produce a rotational movement output signal in response to movement of the first control member, and a translational movement output signal in response to movement of the second control member relative to the first control member. The rotational movement output signal may be any of a pitch movement output signal, a yaw movement output signal, and a roll movement output signal, and the translational movement output signal may be any of an x-axis movement output signal, a y-axis movement output signal, and a z-axis movement output signal. In exemplary embodiments, the first control member may be gripped and moved using a single hand, and the second control member may be moved using one or more digits of the single hand, thus permitting highly intuitive, single-handed control of multiple degrees of freedom, to and including, all six degrees of rotational and translational freedom without any inadvertent cross-coupling inputs.

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/071,624 filed Mar. 16, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/797,184 filed Mar. 12, 2013, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/642,118 filed onMay 3, 2012, the entire contents of which is specifically incorporatedherein by express reference thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to control systems and moreparticularly to a controller that provides a user with the ability tosend navigation signals for up to six independent degrees of freedom,without cross-coupling, using a controller that is operable with asingle hand. In some embodiments, the controller is operable to decoupletranslational motion from attitude adjustment.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A controller includes (a) a first control member, (b) a second controlmember extending from a portion of the first control member, and (c) acontroller processor coupled to the first control member and the secondcontrol member, wherein the controller processor is operable to producea rotational movement output signal in response to movement of the firstcontrol member, wherein the controller processor is operable to producea translational movement output signal in response to movement of thesecond control member relative to the first control member. In anembodiment, the controller processor is operable to produce one or moreof a pitch movement output signal in response to a first predeterminedmovement of the first control member, a yaw movement output signal inresponse to a second predetermined movement of the first control member,and a roll movement output signal in response to a third predeterminedmovement of the first control member. In an embodiment, the controllerprocessor is operable to produce one or more of an x-axis movementoutput signal in response to a first predetermined movement of thesecond control member, a y-axis movement output signal in response to asecond predetermined movement of the second control member, and a z-axismovement output signal in response to a third predetermined movement ofthe second control member. In an embodiment, the controller processor isoperable to produce at least two different types of rotational movementoutput signals in response to movement of the first control member, andwherein the controller processor is operable to produce at least twodifferent types of translational movement output signals in response tomovement of the second control member relative to the first controlmember. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the controller processor isoperable to produce output signals for movement in one degree of freedomto six degrees of freedom simultaneously (e.g., three rotationalmovement output signals and three translational movement outputsignals). In an embodiment, the controller processor is operable toproduce at least three different types of rotational movement outputsignals in response to movement of the first control member, and whereinthe controller processor is operable to produce at least three differenttypes of translational movement output signals in response to movementof the second control member relative to the first control member. In anembodiment, the first control member is configured to be gripped andmoved using a single hand, and wherein the second control member isconfigured to be moved using one or more digits on the single hand. Inan embodiment, the one or more digits include the thumb. In anembodiment, the first control member is moveably coupled to a base, andwherein the controller processor is operable to produce the rotationalmovement output signal in response to movement of the first controlmember relative to the base. In an embodiment, the first control membercomprises at least one motion sensor, and wherein the controllerprocessor is operable to produce the rotational movement output signalin response to movement of the first control member in space that isdetected by the at least one motion sensor. In an embodiment, a controlbutton is located on the first control member. Furthermore,multi-function switches, trim control, and/or other functional switchesand controls may be added to either of the first control member and/orthe second control member.

A computer system includes (a) a processor, (b) a non-transitory,computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and includinginstruction that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor toprovide a control program, and (c) a user input device coupled to theprocessor, the user input device comprising: (i) a first control member,wherein movement of the first control member causes the processor toprovide one of a plurality of rotational movement instructions in thecontrol program, and (ii) a second control member extending from aportion of the first control member, wherein movement of the secondcontrol member causes the processor to provide one of a plurality oftranslational movement instructions in the control program. In anembodiment, a first predetermined movement of the first control membercauses the processor to provide a pitch movement instruction in thecontrol program, a second predetermined movement of the first controlmember causes the processor to provide a yaw movement instruction in thecontrol program, and a third predetermined movement of the first controlmember cause the processor to provide a roll movement instruction in thecontrol program. In an embodiment, a first predetermined movement of thesecond control member causes the processor to provide an x-axis movementinstruction in the control program, a second predetermined movement ofthe second control member causes the processor to provide a y-axismovement instruction in the control program, and a third predeterminedmovement of the second control member causes the processor to provide az-axis movement instruction in the control program. In an embodiment,the first control member is configured to be gripped and moved using asingle hand, and wherein the second control member is configured to bemoved using one or more digits on the single hand. In an embodiment, theone or more digits includes the thumb. In an embodiment, the firstcontrol member is moveably coupled to a base, and wherein movement ofthe first control member relative to the base causes the processor toprovide the one of a plurality of rotational movement instructions inthe control program. In an embodiment, the first control membercomprises at least one motion sensor, and wherein movement of the firstcontrol member in space that is detected by the at least one motionsensor causes the processor to provide the one of a plurality oftranslational movement instructions in the control program.

A control method includes: (a) providing a controller including a firstcontrol member and a second control member extending from a portion ofthe first control member, (b) sending a rotational movement outputsignal in response to moving the first control member, and (c) sending atranslational movement output signal in response to moving the secondcontrol member relative to the first control member. In an embodiment,the sending the rotational movement output signal in response to movingthe first control member includes sending a pitch movement output signalin response to a first predetermined movement of the first controlmember, sending a yaw movement output signal in response to a secondpredetermined movement of the first control member, and sending a rollmovement output signal in response to a third predetermined movement ofthe first control member. In an embodiment, the sending thetranslational movement output signal in response to moving the secondcontrol member relative to the first control member includes sending anx-axis movement output signal in response to a first predeterminedmovement of the second control member, sending a y-axis movement outputsignal in response to a second predetermined movement of the secondcontrol member, and sending a z-axis movement output signal in responseto a third predetermined movement of the second control member. In anembodiment, the moving the first control member includes gripping andmoving the first control member using a single hand, and wherein themoving the second control member relative to the first control memberincludes moving the second control member using a thumb on the singlehand. In an embodiment, the sending the rotational movement outputsignal in response to moving the first control member includes detectingthe movement of the first control member about a moveable coupling on abase. In an embodiment, the sending the rotational movement outputsignal in response to moving the first control member includes detectingthe movement of the first control member in space using at least onemotion sensor.

A method for performing a medical procedure includes controlling one ormore medical instruments using the controller described above. In anembodiment, the medical procedure includes one or more of laparoscopicsurgery, natural orifice surgery, minimally-invasive surgery, prenatalsurgery, intrauterine surgery, microscopic surgery, interventionalradiology, interventional cardiology, endoscopy, cystoscopy,bronchoscopy, and colonoscopy. In an embodiment, the medical procedureutilizes one or more of Hansen robotic control, Da Vinci roboticcontrol, three dimensional image guidance, and four dimensional imageguidance.

A method for controlling a vehicle includes controlling one or morevehicle subsystems using the controller described above. In anembodiment, the vehicle includes one or more of an unmanned aerialvehicle, an unmanned submersible vehicle, a heavy mechanized vehicle, apiloted aircraft, a helicopter, a spacecraft, a spacecraft dockingsystem, and a general aviation system.

A method for controlling a military system includes controlling one ormore military subsystems using the controller described above. In anembodiment, the military system includes one or more of aweapons-targeting system, counter-improvised-explosive-device system, anair-to-air refueling system, and an explosives handling system.

A method for controlling an industrial system includes controlling oneor more industrial subsystems using the controller described above. Inan embodiment, the industrial system includes one or more of an oilexploration system, an overhead crane, a cherry picker, a boom lift, abasket crane, an industrial lift, a firefighting system, a dangerousmaterials handling system (including, without limitation, nuclear orbiological materials handling systems), a metallurgical handling orfoundry system, a steel or metals manufacturing system, ahigh-temperature handling or processing system, an explosives orordinance handling system, and a waste management system.

A method for controlling a consumer device system includes controllingone or more consumer device subsystems using the controller describedabove. In an embodiment, the consumer device system includes one or moreof a consumer electronics device, a video game console, athree-dimensional computer navigation system, a radio-controlledvehicle, and a three-dimensional computer-aided drafting system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention,reference will now be made to the embodiments, or examples, illustratedin the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same.It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope ofthe invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and furthermodifications in the described embodiments, and any further applicationsof the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplatedas would normally occur to one of ordinary skill in the art to which theinvention relates.

The following drawings form part of the present specification and areincluded to demonstrate certain aspects of the present invention. Theinvention may be better understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a control system.

FIG. 2A is a front-perspective view illustrating an embodiment of acontroller;

FIG. 2B is a rear-perspective view illustrating an embodiment of thecontroller of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C is a side view illustrating an embodiment of the controller ofFIG. 2A;

FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view illustrating an embodiment of thecontroller of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2E is a rear view illustrating an embodiment of the controller ofFIG. 2A;

FIG. 2F is a front view illustrating an embodiment of the controller ofFIG. 2A;

FIG. 2G is a top view illustrating an embodiment of the controller ofFIG. 2A;

FIG. 3A is a front-perspective view illustrating an embodiment of acontroller;

FIG. 3B is a side-perspective view illustrating an embodiment of thecontroller of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method forcontrolling a control target;

FIG. 4B is a side view illustrating an embodiment of a user using thecontroller depicted in FIG. 2A-FIG. 2G with a single hand;

FIG. 4C is a side view illustrating an embodiment of a physical orvirtual vehicle control target executing movements according to themethod of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4D is a top view illustrating an embodiment of the physical orvirtual vehicle control target of FIG. 4C executing movements accordingto the method of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4E is a front view illustrating an embodiment of the physical orvirtual vehicle control target of FIG. 4C executing movements accordingto the method of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4F is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a toolcontrol target executing movements according to the method of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method forcontrolling a control target;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method forconfiguring a controller;

FIG. 7A is a side view illustrating an embodiment of a controller;

FIG. 7B is a front view illustrating an embodiment of the controller ofFIG. 7A;

FIG. 8A is a side view illustrating an embodiment of a controller;

FIG. 8B is a front view illustrating an embodiment of the controller ofFIG. 8A;

FIG. 9A is a side view illustrating an embodiment of a controller; and

FIG. 9B is a top view illustrating an embodiment of the controller ofFIG. 8A.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

In the drawings and description that follows, the drawings are notnecessarily to scale. Certain features of the invention may be shownexaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details ofconventional elements may not be shown in the interest of clarity andconciseness. The present disclosure is susceptible to embodiments ofdifferent forms. Specific embodiments are described in detail and areshown in the drawings, with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles ofthe invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to thatillustrated and described herein. It is to be fully recognized that thedifferent teachings of the embodiments discussed below may be employedseparately or in any suitable combination to produce desired results.The various characteristics mentioned above, as well as other featuresand characteristics described in more detail below, will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the followingdescription of illustrative embodiments of the invention, and byreferring to the drawings that accompany the specification.

Conventionally, multiple discrete controllers are utilized to allow auser to control a control target having more than three degrees offreedom. Furthermore, multiple discrete controllers have been requiredfor any conventional control system that controls a control targethaving six degrees of freedom. For example, a set of independentcontrollers (e.g., joysticks, control columns, cyclic sticks, footpedals, and/or other independent controllers as may be known by one ormore of ordinary skill in the art) may be provided to receive a varietyof different rotational parameters (e.g., pitch, yaw, and roll) from auser for a control target (e.g., an aircraft, submersible vehicles,spacecraft, a control target in a virtual environment, and/or a varietyof other control targets as may be known by one or more of ordinaryskill in the art), while a set of independent controllers may beprovided to control other navigational parameters such as translation(e.g., x-, y-, and z-axis movement) in a three-dimensional (3D) space,velocity, acceleration, and/or a variety of other navigationalparameters as may be known by one or more of ordinary skill in the art.

The present disclosure describes several embodiments of a control systemthat allows a user to control a control target in six DOF (6-DOF) usinga single controller. In one embodiment, a unified hand controller mayinclude a first control member for receiving rotational inputs (e.g.,pitch, yaw, and roll) and a second control member that extends from thefirst control member and that is for receiving translational inputs(e.g., movement along x, y, and z axes). As described in further detailbelow, the first control member and the second control member on theunified hand controller may be repositioned by a user using a singlehand to control the control target in 6-DOF.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a control system 100 isillustrated. The embodiment of the control system 100 illustrated anddescribed below is directed to a control system for controlling acontrol target in 6-DOF. The control system 100 includes a controller102 that is coupled to a signal conversion system 104 that is furthercoupled to a control target 106. In an embodiment, the control target106 may include end effectors (e.g., the end of a robotic forceps, arobotic arm and effector with snarks), camera field-of-views (e.g.,including a camera center field-of-view and zoom), vehicle velocityvectors, etc. While the controller 102 and the signal conversion system104 are illustrated separately, one of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that some or all of the controller 102 and the signalconversion system 104 may be combined without departing from the scopeof the present disclosure. The controller 102 includes a first controlmember 102 a and a second control member 102 b that is located on thefirst control member 102 a. A controller processor 102 c is coupled toeach of the first control member 102 a and the second control member 102b. In an embodiment, the controller processor 102 c may be a centralprocessing unit, a programmable logic controller, and/or a variety ofother processors as may be known by one or more of ordinary skill in theart. The controller processor 102 c is also coupled to each of arotational module 102 d, a translation module 102 e, and a transmitter102 f. While not illustrated or described in any further detail, otherconnections and coupling may exist between the first control member 102a, the second control member 102 b, the controller processor 102 c, therotation module 102 d, the translation module 102 e, and the transmitter102 f while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.Furthermore, components of the controller may be combined or substitutedwith other components as may be known by one or more of ordinary skillin the art while remaining with the scope of the present disclosure.

The signal conversion system 104 in the control system 100 includes atransceiver 104 a that may couple to the transmitter 102 f in thecontroller 102 through a wired connection, a wireless connection, and/ora variety of other connections as may be known by one or more ofordinary skill in the art. A conversion processor 104 b is coupled tothe transceiver 104 a, a control module 104 c, and configurationparameters 104 d that may be included on a memory, a storage device,and/or other computer-readable mediums as may be known by one or more ofordinary skill in the art. In an embodiment, the conversion processor104 b may be a central processing unit, a programmable logic controller,and/or a variety of other processors known to those of ordinary skill inthe art. While not illustrated or described in any further detail, otherconnections and coupling may exist between the transceiver 104 a, theconversion processor 104 b, the control module 104 c, and theconfiguration parameters 104 d while remaining within the scope of thepresent disclosure. Furthermore, components of the signal conversionsystem 104 may be combined or substituted with other components as maybe known by one or more of ordinary skill in the art while remainingwith the scope of the present disclosure. The control module 104 c maybe coupled to the control target 106 through a wired connection, awireless connection, and/or a variety of other connections as may beknown by one or more of ordinary skill in the art.

In an embodiment, the controller 102 is configured to receive input froma user through the first control member 102 a and/or the second controlmember 102 b and transmit a signal based on the input. For example, thecontroller 102 may be provided as a “joystick” for navigating in avirtual environment (e.g., in a video game, on a real-world simulator,as part of a remote control virtual/real-world control system, and/or ina variety of other virtual environments as may be known by one or moreof ordinary skill in the art.) In another example, the controller 102may be provided as a control stick for controlling a vehicle (e.g., anaircraft, a submersible, a spacecraft, and/or a variety of othervehicles as may be known by one or more of ordinary skill in the art).In another example, the controller 102 may be provided as a controlstick for controlling a robot or other non-vehicle device (e.g., asurgical device, an assembly device, and/or variety of other non-vehicledevices known to one of ordinary skill in the art).

In the embodiment discussed in further detail below, the controller 102includes a control stick as the first control member 102 a that isconfigured to be repositioned by the user. The repositioning of thecontrol stick first control member 102 a allows the user to providerotational inputs using the first control member 102 a that includepitch inputs, yaw inputs, and roll inputs, and causes the controllerprocessor 102 c to output rotational movement output signals includingpitch movement output signals, a yaw movement output signals, and rollmovement output signals. In particular, tilting the control stick firstcontrol member 102 a forward and backward may provide the pitch inputthat produces the pitch movement output signal, rotating the controlstick first control member 102 a left and right about its longitudinalaxis may provide the yaw input that produces the yaw movement outputsignal, and tilting the control stick first control member 102 a side toside may provide the roll input that produces the roll movement outputsignal. As discussed below, the movement output signals that result fromthe repositioning of the first control member 102 a may be reconfiguredfrom that discussed above such that similar movements of the firstcontrol member 102 a to those discussed above result in different inputsand movement output signals (e.g., tilting the control stick firstcontrol member 102 a side to side may be configured to provide the yawinput that produces the yaw movement output signal while rotating thecontrol stick first control member 102 a about its longitudinal axis maybe configured provide the roll input that produces the roll movementoutput signal.)

Rotational inputs using the control stick first control member 102 a maybe detected and/or measured using the rotational module 102 d. Forexample, the rotational module 102 d may include displacement detectorsfor detecting the displacement of the control stick first control member102 a from a starting position as one or more of the pitch inputs, yawinputs, and roll inputs discussed above. Displacement detectors mayinclude photo detectors for detecting light beams, rotary and/or linearpotentiometers, inductively coupled coils, physical actuators,gyroscopes, switches, transducers, and/or a variety of otherdisplacement detectors as may be known by one or more of ordinary skillin the art. In some embodiments, the rotational module 102 d may includeaccelerometers for detecting the displacement of the control stick firstcontrol member 102 a from a starting position in space. For example, theaccelerometers may each measure the proper acceleration of the controlstick first control member 102 a with respect to an inertial frame ofreference.

In other embodiments, inputs using the control stick first controlmember 102 a may be detected and/or measured using breakout switches,transducers, and/or direct switches for each of the three ranges ofmotion (e.g., front to back, side to side, and rotation about alongitudinal axis) of the control stick first control member 102 a. Forexample, breakout switches may be used to detect when the control stickfirst control member 102 a is initially moved (e.g., 2°) from a nullposition for each range of rotation, transducers may provide a signalthat is proportional to the displacement of the control stick firstcontrol member 102 a for each range of motion, and direct switches maydetect when the control stick first control member 102 a is furthermoved (e.g., 12°) from the null position for each range of motion. Thebreakout switches and direct switches may also allow for acceleration ofthe control stick first control member 102 a to be detected. In anembodiment, redundant detectors and/or switches may be provided in thecontroller 102 to ensure that the control system 100 is fault tolerant.

In the embodiment discussed in further detail below, the second controlmember 102 b extends from a top, distal portion of the control stickfirst control member 102 a and is configured to be repositioned by theuser independently from and relative to the control stick first controlmember 102 a. The repositioning of the second control member 102 bdiscussed below allows the user to provide translational inputs usingthe second control member 102 b that include x-axis inputs, y-axisinputs, and z-axis inputs, and causes the control processor 102 c tooutput a translational movement output signals including x-axis movementoutput signals, y-axis movement output signals, and z-axis movementoutput signals. For example, tilting the second control member 102 bforward and backward may provide the x-axis input that produces thex-axis movement output signal, tilting the second control member 102 bside to side may provide the y-axis input that produces the y-axismovement output signal, and moving the second control member 102 b upand down may provide the z-axis input that produces the z-axis movementoutput signal. As discussed below, the signals that result from therepositioning of the second control member 102 b may be reconfiguredfrom that discussed above such that similar movements of the secondcontrol member 102 b to those discussed above result in different inputsand movement output signals (e.g., tilting the second control member 102b forward and backward may be configured to provide the z-axis inputthat produces the z-axis movement output signal while moving the secondcontrol member 102 b up and down may be configured to provide the x-axisinput that produces the x-axis movement output signal.) In anembodiment, the second control member 102 b is configured to berepositioned solely by a thumb of the user while the user is grippingthe control stick first control member 102 a with the hand that includesthat thumb.

Translational inputs using the second control member 102 b may bedetected and/or measured using the translation module 102 e. Forexample, the translation module 102 e may include translationaldetectors for detecting the displacement of the second control member102 b from a starting position as one or more of the x-axis inputs,y-axis inputs, and z-axis inputs discussed above. Translation detectorsmay include physical actuators, translational accelerometers, and/or avariety of other translation detectors as may be known by one or more ofordinary skill in the art (e.g., many of the detectors and switchesdiscussed above for detecting and/or measuring rotational input may berepurposed for detecting and/or measuring translation input.)

In an embodiment, the controller processor 102 c of the controller 102is configured to generate control signals to be transmitted by thetransmitter 102 f. As discussed above, the controller processor 102 cmay be configured to generate a control signal based on one or morerotational inputs detected and/or measured by the rotational module 102d and/or one or more translational inputs detected and/or measured bythe translation module 102 e. Those control signal generated by thecontroller processor 102 c may include parameters defining movementoutput signals for one or more of 6-DOF (i.e., pitch, yaw, roll,movement along an x-axis, movement along a y-axis, movement along az-axis). In several embodiments, a discrete control signal type (e.g.,yaw output signals, pitch output signals, roll output signals, x-axismovement output signals, y-axis movement output signals, and z-axismovement output signals) is produced for each discrete predefinedmovement (e.g., first control member 102 a movement for providing pitchinput, first control member 102 a movement for providing yaw input,first control member 102 a movement for providing roll input, secondcontrol member 102 b movement for providing x-axis input, second controlmember 102 b movement for providing y-axis input, and second controlmember 102 b movement for providing z-axis input) that produces thatdiscrete control signal. Beyond 6-DOF control, discrete features such asON/OFF, trim, and other multi-function commands may be transmitted tothe control target. Conversely, data or feedback may be received on thecontroller 102 (e.g., an indicator such as an LED may be illuminatedgreen to indicate the controller 102 is on.)

In an embodiment, the transmitter 102 f of the controller 102 isconfigured to transmit the control signal through a wired or wirelessconnection. For example, the control signal may be one or more of aradio frequency (“RF”) signal, an infrared (“IR”) signal, a visiblelight signal, and/or a variety of other control signals as may be knownby one or more of ordinary skill in the art. In some embodiments, thetransmitter 102 f may be a BLUETOOTH® transmitter configured to transmitthe control signal as an RF signal according to the BLUETOOTH® protocol(BLUETOOTH® is a registered trademark of the Bluetooth Special InterestGroup, a privately held, not-for-profit trade association headquarteredin Kirkland, Wash., USA).

In an embodiment, the transceiver 104 a of the signal conversion system104 is configured to receive the control signal transmitted by thetransmitter 102 f of the controller 102 through a wired or wirelessconnection, discussed above, and provide the received control signal tothe conversion processor 104 b of the signal conversion system 104.

In an embodiment, the conversion processor 104 b is configured toprocess the control signals received from the controller 102. Forexample, the conversion processor 104 b may be coupled to acomputer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed bythe conversion processor 104 b, cause the conversion processor 104 b toprovide a control program that is configured to convert the controlsignal into movement commands and use the control module 104 c of thesignal conversion system 104 to control the control target 106 accordingto the movement commands. In an embodiment, the conversion processor 104b may convert the control signal into movement commands for a virtualthree-dimensional (“3D”) environment (e.g., a virtual representation ofsurgical patient, a video game, a simulator, and/or a variety of othervirtual 3D environments as may be known by one or more of ordinary skillin the art.). Thus, the control target 106 may exist in a virtual space,and the user may be provided a point of view or a virtual representationof the virtual environment from a point of view inside the controltarget (i.e., the control system 100 may include a display that providesthe user a point of view from the control target in the virtualenvironment). In another example, the control target 106 may be aphysical device such as a robot, an end effector, a surgical tool, alifting system, etc., and/or a variety of steerable mechanical devices,including, without limitation, vehicles such as unmanned orremotely-piloted vehicles (e.g., “drones”); manned, unmanned, orremotely-piloted vehicles and land-craft; manned, unmanned, orremotely-piloted aircraft; manned, unmanned, or remotely-pilotedwatercraft; manned, unmanned, or remotely-piloted submersibles; as wellas manned, unmanned, or remotely-piloted space vehicles, rocketry,satellites, and such like.

In an embodiment, the control module 104 c of the signal conversionsystem 104 is configured to control movement of the control target 106based on the movement commands provided from the control program insignal conversion system 104. In some embodiments, if the control target106 is in a virtual environment, the control module 104 c may include anapplication programming interface (API) for moving a virtualrepresentation or point of view within the virtual environment. API'smay also provide the control module 104 c with feedback from the virtualenvironment such as, for example, collision feedback. In someembodiments, feedback from the control target 106 may allow the controlmodule 104 c to automatically adjust the movement of the control targetto, for example, avoid a collision with a designated region (e.g.,objects in a real or virtual environment, critical regions of a real orvirtual patient, etc.). In other embodiments, if the control target 106is a physical device, the control module 104 c may include one or morecontrollers for controlling the movement of the physical device. Forexample, the signal conversion system 104 may be installed on-board avehicle, and the control module 104 c may include a variety of physicalcontrollers for controlling various propulsion and/or steeringmechanisms of the vehicle.

In an embodiment, the signal conversion system 104 includes operatingparameters 104 d for use by the conversion processor 104 b whengenerating movement commands using the signals from the controller 102.Operating parameters may include, but are not limited to, gains (i.e.,sensitivity), rates of onset (i.e., lag), deadbands (i.e., neutral),limits (i.e., maximum angular displacement), and/or a variety of otheroperating parameters as may be known by one or more of ordinary skill inthe art. In an embodiment, the gains of the first control member 102 aand the second control member 102 b may be independently defined by auser. In this example, the second control member 102 b may haveincreased sensitivity compared to the control stick first control member102 a to compensate, for example, for the second control member 102 bhaving a smaller range of motion that the control stick first controlmember 102 a. Similarly, the rates of onset for the first control member102 a and the second control member 102 b may be defined independentlyto determine the amount of time that should pass (i.e., lag) before arepositioning of the first control member 102 a and the second controlmember 102 b should be converted to actual movement of the controltarget 106. The limits and deadbands of the first control member 102 aand the second control member 102 b may be independently defined as wellby calibrating the neutral and maximal positions of each.

In an embodiment, operating parameters may also define how signals sentfrom the controller 102 in response to the different movements of thefirst control member 102 a and the second control member 102 b aretranslated into movement commands that are sent to the control target.As discussed above, particular movements of the first control member 102a may produce pitch, yaw, and roll rotational movement output signals,while particular movements of the second control member 102 b mayproduce x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis translational movement outputsignals. In an embodiment, the operating parameters may define whichmovement commands are sent to the control target 106 in response tomovements and resulting movement output signals from the first controlmember 102 a and second control member 102 b.

In some embodiments, the operating parameters 104 d may be received froman external computing device (not shown) operated by the user. Forexample, the external computing device may be preconfigured withsoftware for interfacing with the controller 102 and/or the signalconversion system 104. In other embodiments, the operating parameters104 d may be input directly by a user using a display screen includedwith the controller 102 or the signal conversion system 104. Forexample, the first control member 102 a and/or second control member 102b may be used to navigate a configuration menu for defining theoperating parameters 104 d.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, FIG. 2E, FIG. 2F,and FIG. 2G, an illustrative embodiment of an exemplary controller 200is shown. In an embodiment, the controller 200 may be the controller 102discussed above with reference to FIG. 1. The controller 200 includes abase 202 including a first control member mount 202 a that extends fromthe base 202 and defines a first control member mount cavity 202 b. Thebase 202 may be mounted to a support using, for example, apertures 202 cthat are located in a spaced apart orientation about the circumferenceof the base 202 and that may be configured to accept a fastening membersuch as a screw. Alternatively, a dovetail fitting with aguide-installation and release or other mechanical, magnetic, or otheradhesive fixation mechanism known in the art may be utilized. A firstcontrol member 204, which may be the first control member 102 adiscussed above with reference to FIG. 1, is coupled to the base 200through a base coupling member 204 a that is positioned in the firstcontrol member mount cavity 202 b, as illustrated in FIG. 2D. While inthe illustrated embodiment, the coupling between the base couplingmember 204 a and first control member mount 202 a is shown and describedas a ball-joint coupling, one of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that a variety of other couplings between the base 202 and thefirst control member 204 will fall within the scope of the presentdisclosure. In an embodiment, a resilient member 205 such as, forexample, a spring, may be positioned between the first control member204 and the base 202 in the first control member mount cavity 202 b inorder to provide resilient movement up or down along the longitudinalaxis of the first control member 204. Furthermore, a resilient membermay be provided opposite the base coupling member 204 a from theresilient member 205 in order to limit upward movement of the firstcontrol member 204. Furthermore, as can be seen in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B,the entrance to the first control member mount cavity 202 b may besmaller than the base coupling member 204 a such that the first controlmember 204 is secured to the base 202.

The first control member 204 includes an elongated first section 204 bthat extends from the base coupling member 204 a. The first controlmember 204 also includes a grip portion 204 c that is coupled to thefirst section 204 b of the first control member 204 opposite the firstsection 204 b from the base coupling member 204 a. The grip portion 204c of the first control member 204 includes a top surface 204 d that islocated opposite the grip portion 204 c from the first section of 204 bof the first control member 204. In the illustrated embodiments, the topsurface 204 d of the grip portion 204 c is also a top surface of thefirst control member 204. The grip portion 204 c defines a secondcontrol member mount cavity 204 e that extends into the grip portion 204c from the top surface 204 d. A control button 206 is located on thefirst control member 204 at the junction of the first section 204 b andthe grip portion 204 c. While a single control button 206 isillustrated, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that aplurality of control buttons may be provided at different locations onthe first control member 204 without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure.

A second control member 208, which may be the second control member 102b discussed above with reference to FIG. 1, is coupled to the firstcontrol member 204 through a first control member coupling member 208 athat is positioned in the second control member mount cavity 204 e, asillustrated in FIG. 2D. While in the illustrated embodiment, thecoupling between the first control member coupling member 208 a andfirst control member 204 is shown and described as a ball-jointcoupling, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a varietyof other couplings between the first control member 204 and the secondcontrol member 208 will fall within the scope of the present disclosure.In an embodiment, a resilient member 209 such as, for example, a spring,may be positioned between the second control member 208 and the firstcontrol member 204 in the second control member mount cavity 204 e inorder to provide resilient movement up or down in a direction that isgenerally perpendicular to the top surface 204 d of the grip portion 204c. Furthermore, as can be seen in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the entrance tothe second control member mount cavity 204 e may be smaller than thefirst control member coupling member 208 a such that the second controlmember 208 is secured to and extends from the first control member 204.

The second control member 208 includes a support portion 208 b thatextends from the first control member coupling member 208 a. The secondcontrol member 208 also includes an actuation portion 208 c that iscoupled to the support portion 208 b of the first control member 204opposite the support portion 208 b the first control member couplingmember 208 a. In the illustrated embodiments, the actuation portion 208c of the second control member 208 defines a thumb channel that extendsthrough the actuation portion 208 c of the second control member 208.While a specific actuation portion 208 c is illustrated, one of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize that the actuation portion 208 c mayhave a different structure and include a variety of other features whileremaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2D illustrates cabling 210 that extends through the controller 200from the second control member 208, through the first control member 204(with a connection to the control button 206), and to the base 202.While not illustrated for clarity, one of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that some or all of the features of the controller 102,described above with reference to FIG. 1, may be included in thecontroller 200. For example, the features of the rotational module 102 dand the translation module 102 e such as the detectors, switches,accelerometers, and/or other components for detecting movement of thefirst control member 204 and the second control member 208 may bepositioned adjacent the base coupling member 204 a and the first controlmember coupling member 208 a in order to detect and measure the movementof the first control member 204 and the second control member 208, asdiscussed above. Furthermore, the controller processor 102 c and thetransmitter 102 f may be positioned, for example, in the base 202. In anembodiment, a cord including a connector may be coupled to the cabling210 and operable to connect the controller 200 to a control system(e.g., the control system 100). In another embodiment, the transmitter102 f may allow wireless communication between the controller 200 and acontrol system, as discussed above.

FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B illustrate an embodiment of a controller 300 that issubstantially similar to the controller 200, discussed above, but withthe removal of the base 202 and the base coupling member 204 a. Asdiscussed in further detail below, while not illustrated, one ofordinary skill in the art will recognize that some or all of thefeatures of the controller 102, described above with reference to FIG.1, may be included in the controller 300 such as, for example, featuresof the rotational module 102 d including accelerometers or other devicesfor detecting movement of the first control member 204 in space.Furthermore, the transmitter 102 f may be located in the first controlmember 204 of the controller 300 for providing wireless communicationbetween the controller 300 and a control system, as discussed above.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second control member 208 of thecontrollers 200 and/or 300 is positioned on the top surface 204 d of theapical grip portion 204 c. The apical grip portion 204 c for the indexfinger to wrap around and/or the distal group section 204 b for thethird through fifth fingers to wrap around of the first control memberare configured to be grasped by a hand of a user to allow forrepositioning of the first control member 204 (e.g., about its couplingto the base 202 for the controller 200, or in space for the controller300) to provide the rotational inputs as discussed above. The secondcontrol member 208 is configured to be engaged by a thumb of the hand ofthe user (e.g., through the thumb channel) that is grasping the apicalgrip portion 204 c and/or the distal grip section 204 b of the firstcontrol member 204 to allow the thumb to reposition the second controlmember 208 about its coupling to the first control member 204 to providethe translational inputs discussed above. In the illustrated embodiment,the thumb channel enhances the ability of a user to reposition thesecond control member 208 up and down (i.e., generally perpendicular tothe top surface 204 d of the grip portion 204 c) using the thumb, inaddition to providing a full range-of-motion in a two-dimensional plane(e.g., forward, backwards, left, right) that is parallel with the topsurface 204 d of the grip portion 204 c of the first control member 204.

Referring now to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, a method 400 for controlling acontrol target is illustrated. As is the case with the other methodsdescribed herein, various embodiments may not include all of the stepsdescribed below, may include additional steps, and may sequence thesteps differently. Accordingly, the specific arrangement of steps shownin FIG. 4A should not be construed as limiting the scope of controllingthe movement of a control target.

The method 400 begins at block 402 where an input is received from auser. As illustrated in FIG. 4B, a user may grasp the first controlmember 204 with a hand 402 a, while extending a thumb 402 b through thethumb channel defined by the second control member 208. Furthermore, theuser may position a finger 402 c over the control button 206. One ofordinary skill in the art will recognize that while a specificembodiment having the second control member 208 positioned for thumbactuation and control button 206 for finger actuation are illustrated,other embodiments that include repositioning of the second controlmember 208 (e.g., for actuation by a finger other than the thumb),repositioning of the control button 206 (e.g., for actuation by a fingerother than the finger illustrated in FIG. 4B), additional controlbuttons, and a variety of other features will fall within the scope ofthe present disclosure.

In an embodiment, the input from the user at block 402 of the method 400may include rotational inputs (i.e., a yaw input, a pitch input, and aroll input) and translational inputs (i.e., movement along an x-axis, ay-axis, and/or a z-axis) that are provided by the user using, forexample, the controllers 102, 200, or 300. The user may reposition thefirst control member 204 to provide the rotational inputs and repositionthe second control member 208 to provide the translational inputs. Asillustrated in FIG. 4B, the controller 200 is “unified” in that it iscapable of being operated by a single hand 402 a of the user. In otherwords, the controller 200 allows the user to simultaneously providerotational and translational inputs with a single hand withoutcross-coupling inputs (i.e., the inputs to the controller 200 are“pure”). As discussed above, the rotational and translational input maybe detected using various devices such as photo detectors for detectinglight beams, rotary and/or linear potentiometers, inductively coupledcoils, physical actuators, gyroscopes, accelerometers, and a variety ofother devices as may be known by one or more of ordinary skill in theart. A specific example of movements of the first control member 204 andthe second control member 208 and their results on the control target106 are discussed below, but as discussed above, any movements of thefirst control member 204 and the second control member 208 may bereprogrammed or repurposed to the desires of the user (includingreprogramming references frames by swapping the coordinate systems basedon the desires of a user), and thus the discussion below is merelyexemplary of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, and FIG. 4B, the user may usehis/her hand 402 a to move the first control member 204 back and forthalong a line A (e.g., on its coupling to the base 202 for the controller200, by tilting the grip portion 204 c of the first control member 204along the line A relative to the bottom portion of the first controlmember 204 for the controller 300), in order to provide pitch inputs tothe controller 200 or 300. As illustrated in FIG. 2G and FIG. 4B, theuser may use his/her hand 402 a to rotate the first control member 204back and forth about its longitudinal axis on an arc B (e.g., on itscoupling to the base 202 for the controller 200, by rotating the gripportion 204 c of the first control member 204 in space for thecontroller 300), in order to provide yaw inputs to the controller 200 or300. As illustrated in FIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, and FIG. 4B, the user may usetheir hand 402 a to move the first control member 204 side to side alonga line C (e.g., on its coupling to the base 202 for the controller 200,by tiling the grip portion 204 c of the first control member 204 alongthe line B relative to the bottom portion of the first control member204 for the controller 300), in order to provide roll inputs to thecontroller 200 or 300. Furthermore, additional inputs may be providedusing other features of the controller 200. For example, the resilientmember 205 may provide a neutral position of the first control member204 such that compressing the resilient member 209 using the firstcontrol member 204 provides a first input and extending the resilientmember 209 using the first control member 204 provides a second input.

As illustrated in FIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, FIG. 2G, and FIG. 4B, the user mayuse the thumb 402 b to move the second control member 208 forwards andbackwards along a line E (e.g., on its coupling to the first controlmember 204), in order to provide x-axis inputs to the controller 200 or300. As illustrated in FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, FIG. 2G, and FIG. 4B, the usermay use the thumb 402 b to move the second control member 208 back andforth along a line D (e.g., on its coupling to the first control member204), in order to provide y-axis inputs to the controller 200 or 300. Asillustrated in FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, FIG. 2E, and FIG. 2F, and FIG. 4B, theuser may use the thumb 402 b to move the second control member 208 upand down along a line F (e.g., on its coupling to the first controlmember 204 including, in some embodiments, with resistance from theresilient member 209), in order to provide z-axis inputs to thecontroller 200 or 300. In an embodiment, the resilient member 209 mayprovide a neutral position of the second control member 208 such thatcompressing the resilient member 209 using the second control member 204provides a first z-axis input for z-axis movement of the control target106 in a first direction, and extending the resilient member 209 usingthe second control member 204 provides a second z-axis input for z-axismovement of the control target 106 in a second direction that isopposite the first direction.

The method 400 then proceeds to block 404 where a control signal isgenerated based on the user input received in block 402 and thentransmitted. As discussed above, the controller processor 102 c and therotational module 102 d may generate rotational movement output signalsin response to detecting and/or measuring the rotational inputsdiscussed above, and the control processor 102 c and the translationmodule 102 e may generate translational movement output signals inresponse to detecting and/or measuring the translation inputs discussedabove. Furthermore, control signals may include indications of absolutedeflection or displacement of the control members, rate of deflection ordisplacement of the control members, duration of deflection ordisplacement of the control members, variance of the control membersfrom a central deadband, and/or a variety of other control signals knownin the art.) For example, control signals may be generated based on therotational and/or translational input or inputs according to theBLUETOOTH® protocol. Once generated, the control signals may betransmitted as an RF signal by an RF transmitter according to theBLUETOOTH® protocol. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that an RFsignal may be generated and transmitted according to a variety of otherRF protocols such as the ZIGBEE® protocol, the Wireless USB protocol,etc. In other examples, the control signal may be transmitted as an IRsignal, a visible light signal, or as some other signal suitable fortransmitting the control information. (ZIGBEE® is a registered trademarkof the ZigBee Alliance, an association of companies headquartered in SanRamon, Calif., USA).

The method 400 then proceeds to block 406 where a transceiver receives asignal generated and transmitted by the controller. In an embodiment,the transceiver 104 a of the signal conversion system 104 receives thecontrol signal generated and transmitted by the controller 102, 200,300. In an embodiment in which the control signal is an RF signal, thetransceiver 104 a includes an RF sensor configured to receive a signalaccording to the appropriate protocol (e.g., BLUETOOTH®, ZIGBEE®,Wireless USB, etc.).

In other embodiments, the control signal may be transmitted over a wiredconnection. In this case, the transmitter 102 f of the controller 102and the transceiver 104 a of the signal conversion system 104 may bephysically connected by a cable such as a universal serial bus (USB)cable, serial cable, parallel cable, proprietary cable, etc.

The method 400 then proceeds to block 408 where control program providedby the conversion processor 104 b of the signal conversion system 104commands movement based on the control signals received in block 406. Inan embodiment, the control program may convert the control signals tomovement commands that may include rotational movement instructionsand/or translational movement instructions based on the rotationalmovement output signals and/or translational movement output signals inthe control signals. Other discrete features such as ON/OFF, camerazoom, share capture, and so on can also be relayed. For example, themovement commands may specify parameters for defining the movement ofthe control target 106 in one or more DOF. Using the example discussedabove, if the user uses their hand 402 a to move the first controlmember 204 back and forth along a line A (illustrated in FIG. 2C, FIG.2D, and FIG. 4B), the resulting control signal may be used by thecontrol program to generate a movement command including a pitchmovement instruction for modifying a pitch of the control target 106. Ifthe user uses their hand 402 a to rotate the first control member 204back and forth about its longitudinal axis about an arc B (illustratedin FIG. 2G and FIG. 4B), the resulting control signal may be used by thecontrol program to generate a movement command including a yaw movementinstruction for modifying a yaw of the control target 106. If the useruses their hand 402 a to move the first control member 204 side to sidealong a line C (illustrated in FIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, and FIG. 4B), theresulting control signal may be used by the control program to generatea movement command including a roll movement instruction for modifying aroll of the control target 106.

Furthermore, if the user uses their thumb 402 b to move the secondcontrol member 208 forward and backwards along a line E (illustrated inFIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, FIG. 2G, and FIG. 4B), the resulting control signalmay be used by the control program to generate a movement commandincluding an x-axis movement instruction for modifying the position ofthe control target 106 along an x-axis. If the user uses their thumb 402b to move the second control member 208 back and forth along a line E(illustrated in FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, FIG. 2G, and FIG. 4B), the resultingcontrol signal may be used by the control program to generate a movementcommand including a y-axis movement instruction for modifying theposition of the control target 106 along a y-axis. If the user usestheir thumb 402 b to move the second control member 208 side to sidealong a line D (illustrated in FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, FIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, andFIG. 4B), the resulting control signal may be used by the controlprogram to generate a movement command including a z-axis movementinstruction for modifying the position of the control target 106 along az-axis.

The method 400 then proceeds to block 410 where the movement of thecontrol target 106 is performed based on the movement commands. In anembodiment, a point of view or a virtual representation of the user maybe moved in a virtual environment based on the movement commands atblock 410 of the method 400. In another embodiment, an end effector, apropulsion mechanism, and/or a steering mechanism of a vehicle may beactuated based on the movement commands at block 410 of the method 400.

FIG. 4C, FIG. 4D, and FIG. 4E illustrate a control target 410 a that maybe, for example, the control target 106 discussed above, with referenceto FIG. 1. As discussed above, the control target 410 a may include aphysical vehicle in which the user is located, a remotely operatedvehicle where the user operates the vehicle remotely from the vehicle, avirtual vehicle operated by the user through the provision of apoint-of-view to the user from within the virtual vehicle, and/or avariety of other control targets as may be known by one or more ofordinary skill in the art. Using the example above, if the user usestheir hand 402 a to move the first control member 204 back and forthalong a line A (illustrated in FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, and FIG. 4B), themovement command resulting from the control signal generated will causethe control target 410 a to modify its pitch about an arc AA,illustrated in FIG. 4D. If the user uses their hand 402 a to rotate thefirst control member 204 back and forth about its longitudinal axisabout an arc B (illustrated in FIG. 2G and FIG. 4B), the movementcommand resulting from the control signal generated will cause thecontrol target 410 a to modify its yaw about an arc BB, illustrated inFIG. 4D. If the user uses their hand 402 a to move the first controlmember 204 side to side along a line C (illustrated in FIG. 2E, FIG. 2F,and FIG. 4B), the movement command resulting from the control signalgenerated will cause the control target 410 a to modify its roll aboutan arc CC, illustrated in FIG. 4E.

Furthermore, if the user uses his/her thumb 402 b to move the secondcontrol member 208 forward and backwards along a line E (illustrated inFIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, FIG. 2G, and FIG. 4B), the movement command resultingfrom the control signal generated will cause the control target 410 a tomove along a line EE (i.e., its x-axis), illustrated in FIG. 4D and FIG.4E. If the user uses his/her thumb 402 b to move the second controlmember 208 side to side along a line D (illustrated in FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D,FIG. 2G, and FIG. 4B), the movement command resulting from the controlsignal generated will cause the control target 410 a to move along aline DD (i.e., its y-axis), illustrated in FIG. 4C and FIG. 4D. If theuser uses his/her thumb 402 b to move the second control member 208 backand forth along a line F (illustrated in FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, FIG. 2E, FIG.2F, and FIG. 4B), the movement command resulting from the control signalgenerated will cause the control target 410 a to move along a line FF(i.e., its z-axis), illustrated in FIG. 4C and FIG. 4E. In someembodiments, the control button 206 and/or other control buttons on thecontroller 102, 200, or 300 may be used to, for example, actuate othersystems in the control target 410 a (e.g., weapons systems.)

FIG. 4F illustrates a control target 410 b that may be, for example, thecontrol target 106 discussed above, with reference to FIG. 1. Asdiscussed above, the control target 410 b may include a physical deviceor other tool that executed movements according to signals sent from thecontroller 102, 200, or 300. Using the example above, if the user usestheir hand 402 a to move the first control member 204 back and forthalong a line A (illustrated in FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, and FIG. 4B), themovement command resulting from the control signal generated will causethe control target 410 b to rotate a tool member or end effector 410 cabout a joint 410 d along an arc AAA, illustrated in FIG. 4F. If theuser uses their hand 402 a to rotate the first control member 204 backand forth about its longitudinal axis about an arc B (illustrated inFIG. 2G and FIG. 4B), the movement command resulting from the controlsignal generated will cause the control target 410 b to rotate the toolmember or end effector 410 c about a joint 410 e along an arc BBB,illustrated in FIG. 4F. If the user uses his/her hand 402 a to move thefirst control member 204 side to side along a line C (illustrated inFIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, and FIG. 4B), the movement command resulting from thecontrol signal generated will cause the control target 410 b to rotatethe tool member or end effector 410 c about a joint 410 f along an arcCCC, illustrated in FIG. 4F.

Furthermore, if the user uses his/her thumb 402 b to move the secondcontrol member 208 forwards and backwards along a line E (illustrated inFIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, FIG. 2G, and FIG. 4B), the movement command resultingfrom the control signal generated will cause the tool member or endeffector 410 c to move along a line EEE (i.e., its x-axis), illustratedin FIG. 4F. If the user uses his/her thumb 402 b to move the secondcontrol member 208 back and forth along a line E (illustrated in FIG.2C, FIG. 2D, FIG. 2G, and FIG. 4B), the movement command resulting fromthe control signal generated will cause the control target 410 b to movealong a line EEE (i.e., its y-axis through the joint 410 f), illustratedin FIG. 4F. If the user uses his/her thumb 402 b to move the secondcontrol member 208 side to side along a line D (illustrated in FIG. 2C,FIG. 2D, FIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, and FIG. 4B), the movement command resultingfrom the control signal generated will cause the tool member or endeffector 410 c to move along a line DDD (i.e., its z-axis), illustratedin FIG. 4F. In some embodiments, the control button 206 and/or othercontrol buttons on the controller 102, 200, or 300 may be used to, forexample, perform actions using the tool member 210 c. Furthermore one ofordinary skill in the art will recognize that the tool member or endeffector 410 c illustrated in FIG. 4F may be replaced or supplementedwith a variety of tool members (e.g., surgical instruments and the like)without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As discussedabove, the control target 410 a may include a camera on or adjacent thetool member or end effector 410 c to provide a field of view to allownavigation to a target.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a method 500 for controlling a control targetis illustrated. As is the case with the other methods described herein,various embodiments may not include all of the steps described below,may include additional steps, and may sequence the steps differently.Accordingly, the specific arrangement of steps shown in FIG. 5 shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of controlling the movement of acontrol target.

The method 500 may begin at block 502 where rotational input is receivedfrom a user. The user may provide rotational input by repositioning thefirst control member 204 of the controller 200 or 300 similarly asdiscussed above. In some embodiments, the rotational input may bemanually detected by a physical device such as an actuator. In otherembodiments, the rotational input may be electrically detected by asensor such as an accelerometer.

The method 500 may proceed simultaneously with block 504 wheretranslational input is received from the user. The user may providetranslational input by repositioning the second control member 208 ofthe controller 200 or 300 similarly as discussed above. The rotationalinput and the translational input may be provided by the usersimultaneously using a single hand of the user. In some embodiments, thetranslational input may be manually detected by a physical device suchas an actuator.

In an embodiment, the rotational and translational input may be providedby a user viewing the current position of a control target 106 on adisplay screen. For example, the user may be viewing the currentposition of a surgical device presented within a virtual representationof a patient on a display screen. In this example, the rotational inputand translational input may be provided using the current view on thedisplay screen as a frame of reference.

The method 500 then proceeds to block 506 where a control signal isgenerated based on the rotational input and translational input and thentransmitted. In the case of the rotational input being manuallydetected, the control signal may be generated based on the rotationalinput and translational input as detected by a number of actuators,which convert the mechanical force being asserted on the first controlmember 204 and the second control member 208 to an electrical signal tobe interpreted as rotational input and translational input,respectively. In the case of the rotational input being electronicallydetected, the control signal may be generated based on rotational inputas detected by accelerometers and translational input as detected byactuators.

In an embodiment, a control signal may be generated based on therotational input and translational input according to the BLUETOOTH®protocol. Once generated, the control signal may be transmitted as an RFsignal by an RF transmitter according to the BLUETOOTH® protocol. One ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that an RF signal may begenerated and transmitted according to a variety of other RF protocolssuch as the ZIGBEE® protocol, the Wireless USB protocol, etc. In otherexamples, the control signal may be transmitted as an IR signal, visiblelight signal, or as some other signal suitable for transmitting thecontrol information.

The method 500 then proceeds to block 508, the transceiver 104 a of thesignal conversion system 104 receives the control signal. In the casethat the control signal is an RF signal, the transceiver 104 a includesan RF sensor configured to receive a signal according to the appropriateprotocol (e.g., BLUETOOTH®, ZIGBEE®, Wireless USB, etc.). In otherembodiments, the control signal may be transmitted over a wiredconnection. In this case, the transmitter 102 f and the transceiver 104a are physically connected by a cable such as a universal serial bus(USB) cable, serial cable, parallel cable, proprietary cable, etc.

The method 500 then proceeds to block 510 where the conversion processor104 b commands movement in 6 DOF based on the received control signal.Specifically, the control signal may be converted to movement commandsbased on the rotational and/or translational input in the controlsignal. The movement commands may specify parameters for defining themovement of a point of view or a virtual representation of the user inone or more DOF in a virtual 3D environment. For example, if the secondcontrol member 208 is repositioned upward by the user, the resultingcontrol signal may be used to generate a movement command for moving apoint of view of a surgical device up along the z-axis within a 3Drepresentation of a patient's body. In another example, if the firstcontrol member 204 is tilted to the left and the second control member208 is repositioned downward, the resulting control signal may be usedto generate movement commands for rolling a surgical device to the leftwhile moving the surgical device down along a z-axis in the 3Drepresentation of the patient's body. Any combination of rotational andtranslational input may be provided to generate movement commands withvarying combinations of parameters in one or more DOF.

The method 500 then proceeds to block 512 where a proportional movementis performed in the virtual and/or real environment based on themovement commands. For example, a point of view of a surgical device ina virtual representation of a patient may be repositioned according tothe movement commands, where the point of view corresponds to a cameraor sensor affixed to a surgical device. In this example, the surgicaldevice may also be repositioned in the patient's body according to themovement of the surgical device in the virtual representation of thepatient's body. The unified controller allows the surgeon to navigatethe surgical device in 6-DOF within the patient's body with a singlehand.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a method 600 for configuring a controller isillustrated. As is the case with the other methods described herein,various embodiments may not include all of the steps described below,may include additional steps, and may sequence the steps differently.Accordingly, the specific arrangement of steps shown in FIG. 6 shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of controlling the movement of acontrol target.

The method 600 begins at block 602 where the controller 102 is connectedto an external computing device. The controller 102 may be connected viaa physical connection (e.g., USB cable) or any number of wirelessprotocols (e.g., BLUETOOTH® protocol). The external computing device maybe preconfigured with software for interfacing with the controller 102.

The method 600 then proceeds to block 604 where configuration data isreceived by the controller 102 from the external computing device. Theconfiguration data may specify configuration parameters such as gains(i.e., sensitivity), rates of onset (i.e., lag), deadbands (i.e.,neutral), and/or limits (i.e., maximum angular displacement). Theconfiguration data may also assign movement commands for a controltarget to movements of the first control member and second controlmember. The configuration parameters may be specified by the user usingthe software configured to interface with the controller 102.

The method 600 then proceeds to block 606 where the operating parametersof the controller 102 are adjusted based on the configuration data. Theoperating parameters may be stored in memory and then used by thecontroller 102 to remotely control a control target as discussed abovewith respect to FIG. 4A and FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the method 600may include the ability to set “trim”, establish rates of translation(e.g., cm/sec) or reorientation (e.g., deg/sec), or initiate“auto-sequences” to auto-pilot movements (on a display or on thecontroller 102 itself.)

In other embodiments, the controller 102 may be equipped with an inputdevice that allows the user to directly configure the operatingparameters of the controller 102. For example, the controller 102 mayinclude a display screen with configuration menus that are navigableusing the first control member 204 and/or the second control member 208.

A computer readable program product stored on a tangible storage mediamay be used to facilitate any of the preceding embodiments such as, forexample, the control program discussed above. For example, embodimentsof the invention may be stored on a computer readable medium such as anoptical disk [e.g., compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD),etc.], a diskette, a tape, a file, a flash memory card, or any othercomputer readable storage device. In this example, the execution of thecomputer readable program product may cause a processor to perform themethods discussed above with respect to FIG. 4A, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B, a controller 700 is illustratedthat is substantially similar in structure and operation to thecontroller 200, discussed above with reference to FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, FIG.2C, FIG. 2D, FIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, FIG. 2G, FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C, FIG.4D, FIG. 4E, FIG. 4F, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, with the provision of a secondcontrol member 702 replacing the second control member 208, and aplurality of control buttons 704 a and 704 b in place of the controlbutton 206. The second control member 702 is substantially similar instructure and operation to the second control member 208, but ispositioned on a front surface of the controller 102 at the junction ofthe first section 204 b and the grip portion 204 c of the first controlmember 204. The control button 704 a is located on the top surface 204 dof the grip portion 204 c of the first control member 204, while thecontrol buttons 704 b are located on the front surface of the controller102 below the second control member 702.

In operation, the first control member 204 may operate substantially asdescribed above according to the methods 400 and 500. However, inputsprovided using the second control member 702 be configured to providedifferent control signals. For example, the user may use the indexfinger 402 c (illustrated in FIG. 4B) to move the second control member702 side to side along a line G (e.g., on its coupling to the firstcontrol member 204), in order to provide y-axis inputs to the controller700. Furthermore, the user may use the index finger 402 c to move thesecond control member 702 up and down along a line H (e.g., on itscoupling to the first control member 204), in order to provide z-axisinputs to the controller 700. Further still, the user may use the finger402 c to move the second control member 702 forward and backward along aline I (e.g., on its coupling to the first control member 204 including,in some embodiments, with resistance from a resilient member similar tothe resilient member 209), in order to provide x-axis inputs to thecontroller 700. In an embodiment, the resilient member may provide aneutral position of the second control member 702 such that compressingthe resilient member using the second control member 702 provides afirst y-axis input for y-axis movement of the control target 106 in afirst direction, and extending the resilient member using the secondcontrol member 702 provides a second y-axis input for y-axis movement ofthe control target 106 in a second direction that is opposite the firstdirection. Furthermore, the control buttons 704 a and 704 b may beactuated to control a variety of other systems on the control target, asdiscussed above.

Referring now to FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, a controller 800 is illustratedthat is substantially similar in structure and operation to thecontroller 200, discussed above with reference to FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, FIG.2C, FIG. 2D, FIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, FIG. 2G, FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C, FIG.4D, FIG. 4E, FIG. 4F, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, with the provision of a secondcontrol member 802 replacing the second control member 208, and aplurality of control buttons 804 in place of the control button 206. Thesecond control member 802 is similar in structure and operation to thesecond control member 208, but includes an actuation portion 802 areplacing the actuation portion 208 c. As can be seen, the actuationportion 802 a does not include the thumb channel defined by theactuation portion 208 c. The control buttons 804 are located on thefront surface of the controller 102.

In operation, the first control member 204 may operate substantially asdescribed above according to the methods 400 and 500. The second controlmember 802 may operate substantially as described above for the secondcontrol member 208 according to the methods 400 and 500, but with somemodifications. For example, some inputs provided using the secondcontrol member 802 be configured to provide different control signals.For example, the user may use the thumb 402 c to move the second controlmember 802 up and down along a line J (e.g., on its coupling to thefirst control member 204) by compressing the resilient member 209 inorder to provide z-axis inputs to the controller 800. In someembodiments, compressing the resilient member 209 initially may providea first z-axis input for z-axis movement of the control target 106 in afirst direction, while a release of the second control member 802 andthen a recompression of the resilient member 209 using the secondcontrol member 802 may provide a second z-axis input for z-axis movementof the control target 106 in a second direction that is opposite thefirst direction. In other embodiments, one of the control buttons 804may determine which z-axis direction compressing the second controlmember 802 will provide (e.g., with a control button 804 in a firstposition, compressing the second control member 802 will provide az-axis input for z-axis movement of the control target in a firstdirection, while with that control button 804 in a second position,compressing the second control member 802 will provide a z-axis inputfor z-axis movement of the control target in a second direction that isopposite the first direction.) Furthermore, the control buttons 804 maybe actuated to control a variety of other systems on the control target,as discussed above.

Referring now to FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, a controller 900 is illustratedthat is substantially similar in structure and operation to thecontroller 200, discussed above with reference to FIG. 2A, FIG. 2Bb,FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, FIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, FIG. 2G, FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C,FIG. 4D, FIG. 4E, FIG. 4F, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, with the provision of asecond control member 902 replacing the second control member 208. Thesecond control member 902 is a compressible button having firstdirection actuation portions 902 a, second direction actuation portions902 b, and third direction actuation portion 902 c.

In operation, the first control member 204 may operate substantially asdescribed above according to the methods 400 and 500. The second controlmember 802 may operate substantially as described above for the secondcontrol member 208 according to the methods 400 and 500, but with somemodifications. For example, the user may use the thumb 402 b to pressthe actuation portions 902 a on the second control member 902 in orderto provide x-axis inputs to the controller 900. Furthermore, the usermay use the thumb 402 b to press the actuation portions 902 b on thesecond control member 902 in order to provide y-axis inputs to thecontroller 900. Further still, the user may use the thumb 402 b to pressthe actuation portion 902 c on the second control member 902 in order toprovide z-axis inputs to the controller 900. In an embodiment, pressingthe actuation portion 902 c on the second control member 902 may providea first z-axis input for z-axis movement of the control target 106 in afirst direction, while releasing and then re-pressing the actuationportion 902 c on the second control member 702 may provide a secondz-axis input for z-axis movement of the control target 106 in a seconddirection that is opposite the first direction. In other embodiments,the control button 206 may determine which z-axis direction pressing theactuation portion 902 c on the second control member 902 will provide(e.g., with a control button 206 in a first position, pressing theactuation portion 902 c on the second control member 902 will provide az-axis input for z-axis movement of the control target in a firstdirection, while with that control button 804 in a second position,pressing the actuation portion 902 c on the second control member 902will provide a z-axis input for z-axis movement of the control target ina second direction that is opposite the first direction.)

Thus, a system and method have been described that that include acontroller that allows a user to provide rotational and translationalcommands in six independent degrees of freedom using a single hand. Thesystem and method may be utilized in a wide variety of controlscenarios. While a number of control scenarios are discussed below,those examples are not meant to be limiting, and one of ordinary skillin the art will recognize that any control scenario may benefit frombeing able to provide rotational and translational movement using asingle hand.

In an embodiment, the control systems and methods discussed above may beutilized in a wide variety of medical applications. While a number ofmedical applications are discussed below, those examples are not meantto be limiting, and one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatmany other medical applications may benefit from being able to providerotational and translational movement using a single hand. Furthermore,in such embodiments, in addition to the rotational and translationalmovement provided using first and second control members discussedabove, control buttons (e.g., the control button 206 on controllers 200or 300 and/or other control buttons) may be configured for tasks suchas, for example, end-effector capture, biopsy, suturing, radiography,photography, and/or a variety of other medical tasks as may be known byone or more of ordinary skill in the art.

For example, the control systems and methods discussed above may providea control system for performing laparoscopic surgery and/or a method forperforming laparoscopic surgery. Conventional laparoscopic surgery isperformed using control systems that require both hands of a surgeon tooperate the control system. Using the control systems and/or the methodsdiscussed above provide several benefits in performing laparoscopicsurgery, including fine dexterous manipulation of one or more surgicalinstruments, potentially without a straight and rigid path to the endeffector.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for performing minimally invasive or naturalorifice surgery and/or a method for performing minimally-invasive ornatural-orifice surgery. Conventional minimally invasive or naturalorifice surgery is performed using control systems that require bothhands of a surgeon to operate the control system. Using the controlsystems and/or the methods discussed above provide several benefits inperforming minimally invasive or natural orifice surgery, including finedexterous manipulation of one or more surgical tools, potentiallywithout a straight and rigid path to the end effector.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for performing prenatal intrauterine surgeryand/or a method for performing prenatal surgery. Conventional prenatalsurgery is performed using control systems that require both hands of asurgeon to operate the control system in very tight confines. Using thecontrol systems and/or the methods discussed above provide severalbenefits in performing prenatal surgery, including fine dexterousmanipulation of one or more surgical tools, potentially without astraight and rigid path to the end effector.

For any of the above surgical examples, the control systems and methodsdiscussed above may provide a very stable control system for performingmicroscopic surgery and/or a method for performing microscopic surgery.Using the control systems and/or the methods discussed above provideseveral benefits in performing microscopic surgery, including highlyaccurate camera and end effector pointing.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for performing interventional radiology and/ora method for performing interventional radiology. Conventionalinterventional radiology is performed using control systems that requireboth hands of a surgeon to operate the control system. Using the controlsystems and/or the methods discussed above provide several benefits inperforming interventional radiology, including highly accuratenavigation through for interventional radiology.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for performing interventional cardiology and/ora method for performing interventional cardiology. Conventionalinterventional cardiology is performed using control systems thatrequire both hands of an interventionist to operate the control system.Using the control systems and/or the methods discussed above provideseveral benefits in performing interventional cardiology, includinghighly accurate navigation through the vascular tree using one hand.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system including Hansen/Da Vinci robotic controland/or a method for performing Hansen/Da Vinci robotic control.Conventional Hansen/Da Vinci robotic control is performed using controlsystems that require both hands of a surgeon to operate the controlsystem. Using the control systems and/or the methods discussed aboveprovide several benefits in performing Hansen/Da Vinci robotic control,including fluid, continuous translation and reorientation withoutshuffling the end effector for longer motions.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for performing 3D- or 4D-image guidance and/ora method for performing 3D- or 4D-image guidance. Conventional 3D- or4D-image guidance is performed using control systems that require bothhands of a surgeon to operate the control system. Using the controlsystems and/or the methods discussed above provide several benefits inperforming 3D- or 4D-image guidance, including fluid, continuoustranslation and reorientation without shuffling the end effector forlonger motions.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for performing endoscopy and/or a method forperforming endoscopy. Conventional endoscopy is performed using controlsystems that require both hands of a surgeon to operate the controlsystem. Using the control systems and/or the methods discussed aboveprovide several benefits in performing endoscopy, including fluid,continuous translation and reorientation without shuffling the endeffector for longer motions. This also applies to colonoscopy,cystoscopy, bronchoscopy, and other flexible inspection scopes.

In an embodiment, the control systems and methods discussed above may beutilized in a wide variety of defense or military applications. While anumber of defense or military applications are discussed below, thoseexamples are not meant to be limiting, and one of ordinary skill in theart will recognize that many other defense or military applications maybenefit from being able to provide rotational and translational movementusing a single hand.

For example, the control systems and methods discussed above may providea control system for unmanned aerial systems and/or a method forcontrolling unmanned aerial systems. Conventional unmanned aerialsystems are controlled using control systems that require both hands ofan operator to operate the control system. Using the control systemsand/or the methods discussed above provide several benefits incontrolling unmanned aerial systems, including intuitive single-handed,precise, non-cross-coupled motion within the airspace.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for unmanned submersible systems and/or amethod for controlling unmanned submersible systems. Conventionalunmanned submersible systems are controlled using control systems thatrequire both hands of an operator to operate the control system. Usingthe control systems and/or the methods discussed above provide severalbenefits in controlling unmanned submersible systems, includingintuitive single-handed, precise, non-cross-coupled motion within thesubmersible space.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for weapons targeting systems and/or a methodfor controlling weapons targeting systems. Conventional weaponstargeting systems are controlled using control systems that require bothhands of an operator to operate the control system. Using the controlsystems and/or the methods discussed above provide several benefits incontrolling weapons targeting systems, including precise, intuitive,single-handed targeting.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for counter-improvised-explosive-device (IED)systems and/or a method for controlling counter-IED systems.Conventional counter-IED systems are controlled using control systemsthat require both hands of an operator to operate the control system.Using the control systems and/or the methods discussed above provideseveral benefits in controlling counter-IED systems, including precise,intuitive, single-handed pointing or targeting.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for heavy mechanized vehicles and/or a methodfor controlling heavy mechanized vehicles. Conventional heavy mechanizedvehicles are controlled using control systems that require both hands ofan operator to operate the control system. Using the control systemsand/or the methods discussed above provide several benefits incontrolling heavy mechanized vehicles, including precise, intuitive,single-handed targeting.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for piloted aircraft (e.g., rotary wingaircraft) and/or a method for controlling piloted aircraft. Conventionalpiloted aircraft are controlled using control systems that require bothhands of an operator to operate the control system. Using the controlsystems and/or the methods discussed above provide several benefits incontrolling piloted aircraft, including precise, intuitive,single-handed, non-cross-coupled motion within the airspace for thepiloted aircraft.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for spacecraft rendezvous and docking and/or amethod for controlling spacecraft rendezvous and docking. Conventionalspacecraft rendezvous and docking is controlled using control systemsthat require both hands of an operator to operate the control system.Using the control systems and/or the methods discussed above provideseveral benefits in controlling spacecraft rendezvous and docking,including precise, intuitive, single-handed, non-cross-coupled motionwithin the space for rendezvous and/or docking.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for air-to-air refueling (e.g., boom control)and/or a method for controlling air-to-air refueling. Conventionalair-to-air refueling is controlled using control systems that requireboth hands of an operator to operate the control system. Using thecontrol systems and/or the methods discussed above provide severalbenefits in controlling air-to-air refueling, including precise,intuitive, single-handed, non-cross-coupled motion within the airspacefor refueling.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for navigation in virtual environments (e.g.,operational and simulated warfare) and/or a method for controllingnavigation in virtual environments. Conventional navigation in virtualenvironments is controlled using control systems that require both handsof an operator to operate the control system. Using the control systemsand/or the methods discussed above provide several benefits incontrolling navigation in virtual environments, including precise,intuitive, single-handed, non-cross-coupled motion within the virtualenvironment.

In an embodiment, the control systems and methods discussed above may beutilized in a wide variety of industrial applications. While a number ofindustrial applications are discussed below, those examples are notmeant to be limiting, and one of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that many other industrial applications may benefit from beingable to provide rotational and translational movement using a singlehand.

For example, the control systems and methods discussed above may providea control system for oil exploration systems (e.g., drills, 3Dvisualization tools, etc.) and/or a method for controlling oilexploration systems. Conventional oil exploration systems are controlledusing control systems that require both hands of an operator to operatethe control system. Using the control systems and/or the methodsdiscussed above provide several benefits in controlling oil explorationsystems, including precise, intuitive, single-handed, non-cross-coupledmotion within the formation.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for overhead cranes and/or a method forcontrolling overhead cranes. Conventional overhead cranes are controlledusing control systems that require both hands of an operator to operatethe control system. Using the control systems and/or the methodsdiscussed above provide a benefit in controlling overhead cranes wheresingle axis motion is often limited, by speeding up the process andincreasing accuracy.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for cherry pickers or other mobile industriallifts and/or a method for controlling cherry pickers or other mobileindustrial lifts. Conventional cherry pickers or other mobile industriallifts are often controlled using control systems that require both handsof an operator to operate the control system, and often allowtranslation (i.e., x, y, and/or z motion) in only one direction at atime. Using the control systems and/or the methods discussed aboveprovide several benefits in controlling cherry pickers or other mobileindustrial lifts, including simultaneous multi-axis motion via asingle-handed controller.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for firefighting systems (e.g., water cannons,ladder trucks, etc.) and/or a method for controlling firefightingsystems. Conventional firefighting systems are often controlled usingcontrol systems that require both hands of an operator to operate thecontrol system, and typically do not allow multi-axis reorientation andtranslation. Using the control systems and/or the methods discussedabove provide several benefits in controlling firefighting systems,including simultaneous multi-axis motion via a single-handed controller.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for nuclear material handling (e.g.,gloveboxes, fuel rods in cores, etc.) and/or a method for controllingnuclear material handling. Conventional nuclear material handlingsystems are controlled using control systems that require both hands ofan operator to operate the control system. Using the control systemsand/or the methods discussed above provide several benefits incontrolling nuclear material handling, including very precise, fluid,single-handed, multi-axis operations with sensitive materials.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for steel manufacturing and other hightemperature processes and/or a method for controlling steelmanufacturing and other high temperature processes. Conventional steelmanufacturing and other high temperature processes are controlled usingcontrol systems that require both hands of an operator to operate thecontrol system. Using the control systems and/or the methods discussedabove provide several benefits in controlling steel manufacturing andother high temperature processes, including very precise, fluid,single-handed, multi-axis operations with sensitive materials.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for explosives handling (e.g., in miningapplications) and/or a method for controlling explosives handling.Conventional explosives handling is controlled using control systemsthat require both hands of an operator to operate the control system.Using the control systems and/or the methods discussed above provideseveral benefits in controlling explosives handling, including veryprecise, fluid, single-handed, multi-axis operations with sensitivematerials.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for waste management systems and/or a methodfor controlling waste management systems. Conventional waste managementsystems are controlled using control systems that require both hands ofan operator to operate the control system. Using the control systemsand/or the methods discussed above provide several benefits incontrolling waste management systems, including very precise, fluid,single-handed, multi-axis operations with sensitive materials.

In an embodiment, the control systems and methods discussed above may beutilized in a wide variety of consumer applications. While a number ofconsumer applications are discussed below, those examples are not meantto be limiting, and one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatmany other consumer applications may benefit from being able to providerotational and translational movement using a single hand.

For example, the control systems and methods discussed above may providea control system for consumer electronics devices [e.g., Nintendo Wii®(Nintendo of America Inc., Redmond, Wash., USA), Nintendo DS®, MicrosoftXBox® (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, Wash., USA), Sony Playstation® (SonyComputer Entertainment Inc., Corp., Tokyo, Japan)], and other videoconsoles as may be known by one or more of ordinary skill in the art)and/or a method for controlling consumer electronics devices.Conventional consumer electronics devices are controlled using controlsystems that require both hands of an operator to operate the controlsystem (e.g., a hand controller and keyboard, two hands on onecontroller, a Wii® “nunchuck” z-handed I/O device, etc.) Using thecontrol systems and/or the methods discussed above provide severalbenefits in controlling consumer electronics devices, including theability to navigate with precision through virtual space with fluidity,precision and speed via an intuitive, single-handed controller.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for computer navigation in 3D and/or a methodfor controlling computer navigation in 3D. Conventional computernavigation in 3D is controlled using control systems that either requireboth hands of an operator to operate the control system or do not allowfluid multi-axis motion through space. Using the control systems and/orthe methods discussed above provide several benefits in controllingcomputer navigation in 3D, including very precise, fluid, single-handed,multi-axis operations.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for radio-controlled vehicles and/or a methodfor controlling radio-controlled vehicles. Conventional radio-controlledvehicles are controlled using control systems that require both hands ofan operator to operate the control system. Using the control systemsand/or the methods discussed above provide several benefits incontrolling radio-controlled vehicles, including intuitivesingle-handed, precise, non-cross-coupled motion within the airspace forradio-controlled vehicles.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for 3D computer aided drafting (CAD) imagemanipulation and/or a method for controlling 3D CAD image manipulation.Conventional 3D CAD image manipulation is controlled using controlsystems that either require both hands of an operator to operate thecontrol system or do not allow fluid multi-axis motion through 3D space.Using the control systems and/or the methods discussed above provideseveral benefits in controlling 3D CAD image manipulation, includingintuitive single-handed, precise, non-cross-coupled motion within the 3Dspace.

In another example, the control systems and methods discussed above mayprovide a control system for general aviation and/or a method forcontrolling general aviation. Conventional general aviation iscontrolled using control systems that require both hands and feet of anoperator to operate the control system. Using the control systems and/orthe methods discussed above provide several benefits in controllinggeneral aviation, including intuitive single-handed, precise,non-cross-coupled motion within the airspace for general aviation.

It is understood that variations may be made in the above withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. While specific embodimentshave been shown and described, modifications can be made by one skilledin the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of thisinvention. The embodiments as described are exemplary only and are notlimiting. Many variations and modifications are possible and are withinthe scope of the invention. Furthermore, one or more elements of theexemplary embodiments may be omitted, combined with, or substituted for,in whole or in part, with one or more elements of one or more of theother exemplary embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of protection is notlimited to the embodiments described, but is only limited by the claimsthat follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of thesubject matter of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A controller, comprising: a first control membermovable with three degrees of freedom and providing in response theretoa first set of three independent control inputs; and a second controlmember extending from the first control member that is movable withthree independent degrees of freedom independently of the first controlmember and providing in response thereto a second set of threeindependent control inputs, where the control inputs of the second setare independent of the control inputs of the first set, wherein thefirst and second control members are configured to be operated by auser's single hand and one or more digits thereof.
 2. The controller ofclaim 1, wherein the first set of control inputs correspond torotational movements.
 3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the secondset of control inputs correspond to translational movements.
 4. Thecontroller of claim 1, wherein the first control member is configured tobe gripped by the user's single hand and second control member isconfigured to be manipulated by the one or more digits of the user'ssingle hand.
 5. The controller of claim 4, wherein the second controlmember is configured to be manipulated by the thumb of the user's singlehand.
 6. The controller of claim 1, further comprising: a processorconnected to receive the first and second sets of control inputs andgenerate in response thereto a respective first and second set ofcontrol signals for a control target.
 7. The controller of claim 6,wherein the first set of control signals corresponds to threeindependent rotational movements of the control target and the secondset of control signals corresponds to three independent translationalmovements of the control target.
 8. The controller of claim 6, whereincontrol target is an aircraft.
 9. The controller of claim 6, whereincontrol target is a medical instrument.
 10. The controller of claim 6,wherein control target is in a virtual environment.
 11. The controllerof claim 1, further comprising: a discrete control element to provide adiscreet control input.
 12. The controller of claim 11, wherein thediscreet control element is a control button formed on the first controlmember that is configured to be operated by one or more digits of theuser's single hand.
 13. The controller of claim 11, wherein the discreetcontrol input is an ON/OFF value.
 14. The controller of claim 11,wherein the discreet control input is a trim function.
 15. Thecontroller of claim 1, wherein the first control member is moveablycoupled to a base and is operable to produce the first set of controlinputs in response to movement of the first control member relative tothe base.
 16. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first controlmember comprises at least one motion sensor and is operable to producethe first set of control inputs in response to movement of the firstcontrol member in space that is detected by the at least one motionsensor.